Aiyedatiwa Gives Criminals 14-Day Ultimatum

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has given criminals a 14-day ultimatum to leave the state’s forest reserves.

The governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Forestry, Bidemi Obayangban, disclosed this on Wednesday in Akure.

He said the directive mainly targets kidnappers and other criminals using the forests as hideouts.

According to Obayangban, the move is part of efforts to improve security and create a safe environment for legitimate businesses.

He said security was essential to the government’s plans to develop the forestry sector and attract investors.

“A vision without maximum security to ensure the safety of investors, farmers, timber contractors and those conducting legitimate business across Ondo State’s forest reserves is effectively meaningless,” he said.

Obayangban said the government had concluded plans to tackle kidnapping and other criminal activities in the forests.

He added that security agencies and hunters across the state were working with the government to restore security.

“Consequently, the primary focus of the Aiyedatiwa administration is to flush out criminal elements from our forests. We are taking the battle directly to them.

“The government is fully committed to this objective and has finalised comprehensive plans to eliminate kidnapping and other illegal activities within our borders,” he said.

Obayangban said the governor preferred a discreet and action-driven approach to security matters.

However, he stressed that the government remained determined to reclaim the forests from criminal elements.

“I am using this opportunity to announce that the state government is giving these individuals 14 days to vacate Ondo State forests.

“Failure to comply will result in them meeting their Waterloo,” he said.

He said securing the forests was also critical to the government’s plan to revitalise the forestry sector and support legitimate economic activities.

Obayangban added that sustainable economic growth could not be achieved while farmers, investors and other legitimate operators remained exposed to insecurity.